Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto (naturally)

Chapter two- A new beginning for a wandering Miko

Striding purposely through a lush, leafy forest was a person that looked like a young lady of sixteen. With blue tinted raven colored hair, brilliant sapphire eyes that shone, and fair, creamy skin, the slender figure was no doubt an extraordinary specimen. The bright smile normally seen on this Miko's face was gone; instead, it was replaced by a small frown of concentration. Moving with a predator's grace towards a clearing in the forest, Kagome's sapphire silk kimono rustled softly as she skimmed across the carpet of soil, leaves and branches, her bow held up and an arrow strung through it. Taking a moment to aim, she released it and watched the graceful arch that stemmed from the pinkish white color of her purifying power before smacking the descending swords of two fighting demons out of their hands, momentarily rendering the swords useless and the demons frozen with shock.

"Stop," a soft voice rang throughout the clearing, commanding and strong "there will be no killing or fighting in this forest".

"What is it to you, miko?" sneered one of the two demons hatefully "your kind only knows how to slay our kind." The only reason he did not attack her outright was because he saw the raw power that she contained, it would be suicide, and that he knew he recognized her from somewhere.

Kagome sighed as she replaced her bow to its customary place on her back, its string digging into her shoulder joint, "perhaps, you should look beneath the beneath? In the end, everyone is the same kind." She glanced at the demon who just spoke; he looked fragile with a wild shock of raven hair, blood red eyes with a tri-wheel for pupils, pale skin and a lithe figure.

"What do you mean?" the other demon that had been previously silent, choosing instead to examine Kagome, spoke, his voice deep and curious rather than its usual tone of malice. He could not help it, after all, he was a kitsune and like all kitsunes, he was born curious. Similar his opponent, he too sensed the power that the odd girl held. Mikos usually attacked without any questions asked, what made her so different?

The sapphire eyed girl looked at the demon, with a curtain shimmering hair like dark amber and a pair of leafy green eyes that seems to blend in with the shifting emerald forest behind him; he looks similar to her kitsune companion, Shippo, only with broader shoulders, Shippo had grown up to be slim and nimble. "Beneath the skin is our power; bound by our power is our soul." She looked at both demons carefully, cautiously, but it was a futile attempt, the demons were too absorbed into her words, trying to decipher the meaning behind them to attack her.

Slowly, an old and familiar smile broke across her face. Eyes turned into sparkling crescents and the breath taking smile that had made her so many odd friends in her past returned. "In the end, we're all the same. We have a body and a soul along with the power that connects them together." She liked them, but then, she likes almost everyone but the kamis that tried dictated her immortal life, believing that anyone can change for the good. I hope we can be friends.

The red eyed demon has heard of only one miko that does not carry the same amount of injustice and hate for their race and she had disappeared from the land years ago into the forests around Edo. While there was many that claimed to see the Miko Kagome wandering and helping all that needed her help, whether demons or ningens, he, like some, had never believed that. The Miko, though a powerful one is still an onna, she would never have withstood the dangers of traveling alone. At least, until today he thought that, that is, and so, hesitantly he asked, "Who are you?" before realizing how ridiculous he was to be thinking that the youthful Miko in front of them could be the famed Kagome.

He thought back to around some forty years ago when he had first heard of the Miko Kagome. Defeating and sparing the evil hanyo, Naraku had gained her more prestige and respect than most demons or ningens could ever gain. It was around a month after that had happen when he received a glimpse of her and her new hanyo company; she looked to be around sixteen at that time and just like the miko in front of him now, in fact. The last he had heard about her that was reliable was that she had disappeared after her beloved hanyo, Naraku died. That and combined with the forty years that had passed, the miko had to be at least some fifty to sixty years of age. It was impossible for this onna to be Kagome, maybe a descendent? The nimble demon was broken from his thoughts when the mysterious girl began talking again.

"Come on, I have a hut in the forest where we can rest." She beamed at them while walking over to retrieve their forgotten swords for the demons, "you can tell me who you are there." Handling the swords back, she continued "and I'll tell you who I am. Deal?"

Deal? What? I'm assuming the onna means a promise. It would not do me any good for me to show weakness or ignorance of any kind to a ningen, no matter how strong she is. "Deal." The crimson eyed demon agreed.

"Deal" copied the confused yet curious Shippo-like demon. As he watched the miko in front of him turn around to lead them to her hut, he eyed the long, thick, curved …something strapped diagonally across her back. It was perhaps two-thirds of her size, maybe more. Can she even reach it? One end of it extends about a foot pass her left shoulder and the other end extend around a few inches past her right mid-thigh. With a shock, he realized that it was a sword. Glancing over to see the other, shorter demon narrowing eyes that was trained on the curved sword; he knew that his ex-opponent realized it too. Fixing his eyes upon the sword again, he examined it with a thorough inspection. The sheath was the same raw, milky white color with a blue polished metal at the edges of it as her bow. Inscribed horizontally on the rough looking surface was the name Kagome. I wonder if she knows how to use it?

So caught up with examining her sword, the kitsune did not even realize when they reached the miko's 'hut' until she stopped. Awed slightly by the 'hut', he turned his attention from her sword to her home that was made from white stone. It was larger than the normal one or two room shabby homes that he had seen in the villages' yet it was not as majestic and cold as the palaces of the wealthy and nobles, it was around two levels and the craftsmanship of the 'hut' was superior, perhaps better than some palaces he had seen. The stones used to make it were standardized with arches for windows and the two doors in the 'hut'. Unlike the dried bamboo mats used to cover the openings at the villages homes, a polished cherry colored wooden door was used. Stepping inside, his feet treaded lightly on polished wooden floors the same color as the doors and his eyes met with the neat arrangements of furniture, all polished wood or stone along with a few fur hides.

"Stay here, I'll get ready tea." The petite girl stated happily as she glided to another doorway that led to another room that apparently served as the 'kitchen'. Waving her hands around the room they were in now, she continued that happy tone, "Have a seat."

The two demons alternated between staring at each other to looking at the door that the miko had just left through for a while before declaring a silent truce. If the miko tries anything funny, she'll die first.

They smelt the sweet scent of jasmine tea and heard the miko's soft humming before seeing her carefully walking to the single table that resides in the midst of the room, her eyes trained on the precariously balanced stack of cups and the tea bowl.

After placing the one cup in front of each demon and herself, she pours the tea before setting it in the center of the round stone table. She wasted no time before jumping right into the questions, "Soooooo……………. What's your name and who are you?"

Exchanging pointed glances and after a battle of wills occurred between the two demons, the slender, red-eyed demon began, "I am Madara Uchiha" before looking at the kitsune, silently telling him that it was his turn.

The kitsune sniffed arrogantly "I am one of the most powerful kitsune in the world, if not the most powerful, I am Kyuubi."

O

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